Exploring magical thinking in the context of pain.

Metabolic markers are key predictors of cardiometabolic health and are strongly associated with increased cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and cognitive decline [, ]. These metabolic markers, including glucose levels and lipid profile, are influenced by lifestyle and environmental factors. Evidence from epidemiological studies highlights a substantial global burden of poor metabolic health. For example, a pooled analysis of thirty‐four studies including 26,609 young adults aged 18–30 years reported that 26.9–41.2% of participants exhibited low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol []. In Ghana, a high prevalence of abnormal metabolic markers has been reported among occupational workers [, ]. Urban populations are particularly affected, potentially due to increased consumption of processed foods and reduced physical activity []. University employees, especially those in sedentary white‐collar roles, may be exposed to occupational and lifestyle‐related factors that could influence metabolic health []. In addition, chronic work stress, characterised by high demands and low control, has been associated with metabolic outcomes through neuroendocrine and inflammatory pathways [, ]. Although international studies support the association between occupational stress, poor diet, low physical activity, and metabolic health, few have investigated the relationship in the African university context. Many related studies have focused on market vendors, transport workers, and urban communities [, ], but the academic workplace, which is a high‐pressure environment with its lifestyle patterns, remains underexplored. This presents a critical gap as universities are increasingly recognised as a high‐risk environment for non‐communicable diseases []